


Mine

by hecateandhoney (LiveLoveLikeMe)



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Drabble, F/F, Fluff, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 01:56:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20788697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiveLoveLikeMe/pseuds/hecateandhoney
Summary: Prompt: Mine, Baxter/Mary.  F/F.   It's Phyllis' birthday, and after five years together, Mary has one more surprise.





	Mine

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally written as a reply to a prompt on CC, but it was too long to fit in the reply, so you get it here instead you lucky people! Haha, I'm currently working on a longer story of Mary/Baxter, and I guess this is within the same little universe as it. I have a lot of thoughts and emotions of them together, so please enjoy this rushed little glimpse into my brain.

"Happy Birthday," Mary purred with a smile. They had stolen away late after everyone was asleep and sat curled beneath a blanket in front of Mary's warm fire. It was the perfect end to an otherwise dull birthday, and Phyllis couldn't help lamenting how wonderful it felt to end the day with her love.

Five years.

They'd been together for almost five years. Always in secret-- or as much a secret as one could really have at Downton. The family had stopped questioning Mary on her lack of desire to marry any number of perfectly eligible suitors. The downstairs had stopped wondering where Phyllis disappeared to and why she so eagerly offered to fill in for Anna at the slightest excuse. Their open secret wasn't brought to the surface, and if anyone tried to dissect it, they did so behind closed doors.

"Come away with me this weekend?" Mary asked suddenly.

Phyllis blushed. "And what excuse would we give for why I'm going with you instead of Anna? Her Ladyship would surely be displeased."

"I believe we both know Ma-ma would understand."

"It's one thing to suspect something like us, but another to confirm it," Phyllis said with a thoughtful sigh. "Still, it's a nice idea to imagine. Where would we go? Somewhere in the country? I can imagine us in the country."

"Darling, I'm truly serious. Why not confirm it?" Mary asked.

Phyllis pulled away from her side just to look her over. "Have you lost your mind?"

"You don't want to?" Mary's face fell.

Phyllis sighed and leaned in to give her a reassuring kiss. "Of course I want to, but could you really do that to Downton?"

"You wouldn't be the first servant to marry into the family," Mary pointed out with a shrug.

"No, but I... marry?" Phyllis blinked. She couldn't have been hearing that correctly.

But Mary turned to her, eyes glistening, and she slipped her hand between the cushions of her couch and procured a small box.

"Marry me?" she asked. 

Phyllis watched tearfully as she cracked the box open. The firelight bounced in flickers off the silver surrounding a modest diamond.

"I... yes," Phyllis covered her mouth with one hand and gave the other to Mary, letting her slip the ring on her trembling finger. She shook her head, looking at what she so desperately wanted so close to her grip. "But we can't. No one would marry us, and Downton..."

"Oh, Phyllis, do shut up," Mary said with a laugh, leaning over to silence her with a tearful kiss. "Forget about everything. I don't need another wedding, and no one outside the house even need know anything at all. I just want you to be mine. And I can be yours if you want me back."

"I do want that," Phyllis admitted. "Very much so, I'd say. But are you sure?"

"Have I ever done something without being certain?" Mary teased. "Won't you be mine, Phyllis?"

“I will. Most happily, I want to be each other’s.”


End file.
